Chapter 28

Tanggu bowed to the elder: "Thank you, mentor." Then he walked down from the platform.

Yanshan had long been waiting at the bottom, giving him a punch: "Brat, you did it. I was so worried just now, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, let's go, the next match is still to continue."

"Alright."

In the distance, Dupengfei, Li Yuxue, Xiao Qingbi, and other top five disciples of the outer academy looked at Yanshan and Tanggu, who were now gathered together, with various expressions.

"Don't get too cocky, soon, I believe you will face me. Boy, defeating Wang Zheng doesn't mean you can defeat me, Dupengfei!"

"The higher you climb, the harder you fall. Soon, I will make you fall from heaven to hell in an instant."

Thinking of this, he touched the silver-gray thin book in his chest, his eyes burning with passion.

"This book will not only allow me to enter the inner academy as the top student, but also secure a place in the inner academy!"

...

The competition continued, and soon, the top six were all decided.

Number one: "Iron Sword" Dupengfei, Number two: "Ice Maiden" Li Yuxue, Number three: "Blazing Sun Fist" Yanshan, Number four: "Paper Scholar" Xiao Qingbi, Number five: Tanggu.

And number six, originally should have been Wang Zheng, but due to his severe injuries and being disqualified by the mentor, it became a second-turn outer academy disciple named "Lizhanggeng."

In the afternoon, the final match to determine the top five would officially begin! This was the most watched and exciting match of all!

...

In the Qiu Dao Academy, in a luxurious courtyard of the outer academy.

Looking at his nephew Wang Zheng, who was now unconscious and had lost most of his cultivation, it was unknown how many years and treasures it would take to recover.

Most importantly, whether Wang Zheng still had the determination to recover was even more crucial. Knowing his nephew's character, Wang Zhenwu knew that it was almost impossible for him to stand up and recover.

In other words, he had truly become a cripple.

At this moment, Wang Zhenwu felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife.

He looked up at the sky, his face twisted with anger: "Tanggu, even if you enter the inner academy, I will never forgive you. This enmity must be avenged!"

...

In the afternoon.

The final match to determine the top five was in full swing.

The final list was quickly announced: Number one "Iron Sword" Dupengfei vs. Number four "Paper Scholar" Xiao Qingbi.

Number two "Ice Maiden" Li Yuxue vs. Number five Tanggu.

Number three "Blazing Sun Fist" Yanshan vs. Number six Lizhanggeng.

Among these, the matches between Number one "Iron Sword" Dupengfei vs. Number four "Paper Scholar" Xiao Qingbi and Number three "Blazing Sun Fist" Yanshan vs. Number six Lizhanggeng had no suspense, and the results were almost self-evident.

So, the main event was the match between Number two "Ice Maiden" Li Yuxue and Number five Tanggu.

On the platform.

"Ice Maiden" Li Yuxue smiled: "Please—"

Tanggu remained calm: "Please—"

No one had expected that a servant disciple would, in such a short time, have the qualification to challenge the second-best student of the outer academy.

Could he win this match? If he did, the only person left in front of him would be the top student of the outer academy, "Iron Sword" Dupengfei.

Unfortunately, even though he defeated the original fifth student, "Fierce Dragon" Wang Zheng, no one still had much faith in him.

Because "Ice Maiden" Li Yuxue, the second-best student of the outer academy, was only slightly inferior to "Iron Sword" Dupengfei. She was a prodigy, vastly different from the arrogant and domineering Wang Zheng, who relied on his uncle's position.

"Iron Sword" Dupengfei and "Blazing Sun Fist" Yanshan quickly resolved their matches and gathered below the platform. As for the results, it was obvious that "Iron Sword" Dupengfei and "Blazing Sun Fist" Yanshan had successfully won.

On the platform.

Li Yuxue and Tanggu wasted no words and started the battle immediately. "Ice Maiden" Li Yuxue used a high-rank, rare martial technique—Wind Trace Finger.

This finger technique, though of the same rank as Yanshan's Seven Steps King Fist, was even rarer. It was a closely guarded secret of an outer academy mentor, and Tanggu had not seen it in the outer academy's library.

The mentor only taught this finger technique to Li Yuxue because she was exceptionally intelligent and extremely beautiful, so he reluctantly passed it on to her.

On the platform, every finger strike she made was as swift as the wind and as fierce as lightning, yet carried a tremendous tearing force, making it intimidating.

Finger techniques were quite common, but high-rank finger techniques were extremely rare. A high-rank, attribute-based offensive finger technique like Wind Trace Finger was even rarer.

Although Li Yuxue's Wind Trace Finger had not yet reached a profound level, it was already at the peak of the beginner stage, each strike as swift as the wind and terrifying.

Especially her finger strength, which could connect multiple strikes into a single line, gathering several dozen strikes into one, was truly astonishing.

However, Tanggu's strength was even more surprising.

After his battle with "Fierce Dragon" Wang Zheng, everyone had fully recognized his top-five strength in the outer academy. But no one had expected that he could match "Ice Maiden" Li Yuxue.

With his heavy sword, every strike he made released a faint purple mist, blocking Li Yuxue's Wind Trace Finger, and then counterattacking her vital points at the last moment, forcing her to defend herself.

The two fought at high speed, and the sounds of their strikes echoed continuously. The blue bricks below the platform shattered and turned to dust, the terrifying sound of their martial techniques shaking the entire training ground.

Below the platform, "Blazing Sun Fist" Yanshan looked surprised and a bit worried.

"Iron Sword" Dupengfei, however, had a slightly dark expression, clearly also surprised. He subconsciously touched the silver-gray secret manual in his chest, his eyes regaining a cold, mocking smile.

As for the others, they were all stunned, forgetting to cheer.

On the platform.

Tanggu and Li Yuxue's battle continued, the wind swirling as they exchanged dozens of moves. They seemed evenly matched, and the whistling sounds of their strikes continued, but it was still hard to determine a winner.

Below the platform, everyone was dazzled by the rapid exchange of moves. The battle, which was supposed to end quickly, continued, surprising everyone and further shocking them by Tanggu's strength.

Those who originally believed Li Yuxue would win were now uncertain, unsure of whom to support.

However, although he was fighting "Ice Maiden" Li Yuxue, Tanggu never thought that the second-best student of the outer academy would only have this much strength. So he was always on guard.

He believed that the true killing move would come soon.

Sure enough...

Each time "Ice Maiden" Li Yuxue struck, her fingers, though still slender and delicate, gradually formed a fist.

Just as Tanggu broke through her Wind Trace Finger with another strike, "Ice Maiden" Li Yuxue laughed lightly, her fingers and palm glowing brightly: "Junior Brother Tang, your strength has surprised me. This move was originally meant for Dupengfei, but now I have to use it against you first!"

"Northern Desert Soft Fist!"

With a light shout, she struck several times, blocking all of Tanggu's escape routes, and then instantly changed her finger technique to a fist.

Her four fingers spread like petals, then flicked slightly. Her palm bones became as flexible as a snake, soft and boneless, extremely supple.

With a light "whoosh,"

She twisted her right arm, which seemed to twist like a braid, and then, at an impossible angle, avoided several of Tanggu's sword strikes and instead struck his left rib below his chest.

This sudden move far exceeded everyone's imagination below the platform. A series of gasps of shock echoed, all worrying for Tanggu, believing that the balance of the match would be broken by this sudden move!

He was bound to lose!